Skin
by takimiromy
Summary: Oneshot, TakeruOC fic. Based on a beautiful song by Rascal Flatts.


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This is the reposting of a fic that got removed because it had song lyrics in it. They are gone now.

HELLO! It's me again! This is my second attempt at digimon fanfiction. Thanks to all of you who reviewed "I love you this much".

I DON'T OWN DIGIMON OR THE SONG "SKIN" BY RASCAL FLATTS.

Now that's out of the way. I heard this song on the radio and just HAD to write a songfic for it. It's so beautiful! I encourage you to listen to it, even if you don't like country. I was going to make this Takimi, but I decided to make it Takeru/OC because it works better. The name Sarah Beth is in the song, so that's what her name is going to be.

Word to the wise: This song made me cry the first time I heard it. I'm not making any promises, but I'm hoping my story will at least bring a tear to your eye.

That's all for now! Takimi/Romy

* * *

SKIN

Sarah Beth couldn't sit still. She was restless and squirming in her seat. Unpleasant thoughts were permeating her brain. _What is the doctor going to say? What if I'm really sick? What if . . .?_

The young girl shook her head slightly, trying to rid herself of what ifs. Her dark eyes gazed around the room. They landed on her rolled up sleeve, which she quickly pulled down. It didn't matter. Covering up the bruises didn't make them go away. She shuttered slightly at the thought of the dark purple and black contusions that littered her right arm and legs. _I fell over three weeks ago. Why won't the bruise go away? _

Trying to distract herself, Sarah Beth continued her visual inspection of the room. The only other people in the room were her parents and an older woman filling out an insurance form. Leaning back into her chair, she tried and failed to suppress a yawn. She felt exhausted; no matter how much sleep she got during the night, she was still tired the next day

Her mother laid her hand on Sarah Beth's trying to calm her fidgeting. She smiled and said, "Don't worry, Beth. It'll be okay, I promise." The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes at the nickname, but nodded in agreement. Yes, everything had to be okay.

She picked up an outdated magazine and started to read. _Hmm, 'Six ways to turn clutter into cash' . . . 'How to WOW your Husband' . . . 'The scoop on the Bennifer wedding' . . . How old is this thing?_

A steady squeaking of tennis shoes on linoleum made her lift her gaze. The kindly face of the nurse appeared in the doorway.

"Sarah Beth Mackenzie?" The girl nodded. "Come with me, please."

Sarah Beth sat frozen to the chair in the doctor's office. Mr. Mackenzie was the first to speak. "Cancer? Beth, my Beth, has cancer?"

Cancer. With all the what ifs she had run through her head, she never thought this was the one that would come true. She was only seventeen. It was senior prom this year! Sarah Beth felt herself nearing tears, beat by her mother who had silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Don't worry." Said the doctor. "We are going to take good care of Sarah Beth."

"There is a new therapy that came out recently. I've been wanting to try it and it's just been approved." He looked directly into Sarah Beth's eyes. "I have full confidence in this therapy because it's the strongest there is. Its side effects are minimal and it gives a six in ten chance that you won't get the cancer back. If you trust me, Sarah Beth, I will do everything I can to make sure we beat this the first time. Okay?"

The young girl tried to answer but found she couldn't form the words. Instead, she just nodded.

He gave her a small smile. "Good. Do you have any questions?"

She lied and shook her head, unwilling to voice the one question she had: _What happens now?_

Later that night Sarah Beth lowered her weary body into the comfort of her bed. Her family spent most of the day discussing treatments with the doctor and discussing the effects of Sarah Beth's cancer was going to have on them.

It felt good to express her fear and anger openly, but secretly she had been waiting for bedtime all day. She wanted to snuggle under her covers and float away to that perfect world in her dreams.

So she did. In a matter of minutes she drifted off into slumber. There she stayed, floating on a cloud, twirling in circles as she danced with her boyfriend, Takeru, with her dark hair blowing gently in the wind.

* * *

Months later, the morning of prom

"Shh . . ." Lauren Mackenzie tried in vain to calm her daughter. The young girl was distraught as she cried into her mother's shoulder, holding on to her for dear life.

"I. . . ca-can't g-g-go like th-this. I-I ju-just . . .can't!"

"Oh, honey, Takeru adores you! Don't you think he should have a say if he takes you to the prom not?"

"Bu-but . . . Just look at me!"

"Beth," Mrs. Mackenzie voice was stern now, "Takeru was dating you almost six months before you got sick. He stayed with you through all those therapy sessions and depressions periods you've had with your sickness. What makes you think he'd leave you over _this_?"

Sarah Beth let go of her mother and stared at the strand of dark hair she held in hand. In an almost inaudible voice she answered. "He might not have said it, but he knows as well as I do it would be a mistake to take a bald girl to prom."

Lauren couldn't think of anything to say so she just held her daughter as the next wave of tears came.

She had been losing her hair slowly. The doctor said she might or might not lose all of it; side effects were different with every person. She would lose a small chunk here or there, but it never seemed to amount to much.

This morning she couldn't deny it. She woke up the find her pillow strewn with dark hair. Her hair. Disbelieving, she attentively felt her mostly bare scalp. Tears pricked her eyes. When she scooped the locks into arms the floodgates opened.

After hours of crying with her mother and an excruciating twenty minutes trying to convince Takeru he didn't have to take her to prom anymore, Sarah Beth found herself at her mother's hairdresser.

As the stylist brought the clippers closer, She willed herself to remember the dream that kept her going. _Clouds . . . Takeru . . . dancing . . . wind . . . hair . . . HAIR! _Sarah Beth bit back a sob as the last of her long, silky locks fell to the floor.

Sarah Beth glanced at the clock. _6:45. He'll be here any minute. How did I let him talk me into this? _She wondered, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in her dress. Self-consciously, she touched the lacy kerchief her mother had bought for her head. _What will they say?_

She didn't notice her mother come up behind her. "You look beautiful."

Sarah Beth jumped slightly, a blush coming to her cheeks. "Thanks."

"He's here. Why don't we go down before Dad embarrasses you," teased her mom.

Sarah Beth nodded. With one last glance in the mirror, she followed.

She felt the knots grow in her stomach grew as she saw Takeru standing in the entrance hall with her dad. He looked absolutely handsome in a tuxedo. But Sarah Beth couldn't help but feel confused. Takeru had a hat on his head. It looked like the one Gilligan wore in the old TV show. She recognized it as the one their friends always teased him about. Why was he wearing now?

He just smiled at the confusion on the family's faces. "You look beautiful, Sarah Beth," Takeru said placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Thanks. You don't look half-bad yourself," she replied with another glance at the offending headwear.

"Thanks. Mrs. Mackenzie, did you want to take some pictures before we leave?"

"Oh, yes." Said the older woman, hurrying to ready her camera. She posed them in the living room and was ready to hit the button, when Takeru exclaimed, "Wait!"

Everyone stared at him. "I almost forgot. I got you a gift, Sarah Beth," he said with a grin.

She was filled with curiosity. "What?"

Slowly, he pulled of his hat. She heard her parents gasp. She stared in bewilderment, not knowing if she should cry of kiss him.

This morning, he had a mop of blond hair on his head. She lifted a hand to feel the smooth skin that was in its place. Suddenly she gave him a fierce hug. "Do you like it?" He asked, sounding unsure if he did he right thing.

She looked him straight in the eye. "It's the best present I ever got." The two shared a tender kiss, which her mother caught on film. The two teens glanced over at their audience, who had tears lining their eyes. "We can take pictures now," said Takeru in a confident voice.

Sarah Beth had a great time at the dance. All of her friends comment on her how great she looked, or what a cute couple she and Takeru were. There wasn't one word spoke about their lack of hair. Well, there was one.

Sarah Beth had been sharing a dance with one of their best friends, Daisuke. "Takeru really loves you, ya know?"

"What you mean?"

"The basketball coach has to beg 'Keru time and time again to just trim his hair for the season. Even then he rarely does it. He hates cutting his hair or having short hair, but . . ."

"But he shaved it all off for me." She finish for him.

"Yeah."

"Dais?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

"No problem." He grinned. A third voice joined the conversation. It was Takeru with Daisuke's date, Catherine. "Mind if we cut in?"

"Not at all."

Takeru and Sarah Beth began to sway to the slow song. "Sarah Beth? I love you. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

"I won't. I love you, too." They pulled each other closer and Sarah Beth rested her head on his chest. As the circled the floor, she found that finally, after many months, she wasn't afraid anymore.

The End!


End file.
